Spool



P. M. MUELLER Jan. 16, 1951 SPOOL Filed March 1, 1945 my I I I a 33 /EHZ UF Paul MfifueZZer Patented Jan. 16, 1951 I Paul M. Mueller, Rome, N. Y., assignor to Hub bard Spool Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois This invention relates to Spools constructed entirely of sheet metal and adapted particularly for carrying heavier material such a 'wire; the general object of the invention'beingto produce a comparatively light spool with the various sheet metal parts so arranged and secured together as to cooperate to produce a strong and durable spool capableof resistingthe heavy service'under'which it is used. J An important object is to produce a spool of comparatively light sheet metal parts --in whichthe-head or end-structures for the 5159 1 barrel element are substantially in the fo'rm-;- of"l ing trusseswhereby to provide rigidity for prevent:

ing-flaring or spreading of-the'head structures by the wire loaded thereon. I 1 Other objectsof the inVention ar-e' te -provide simplified efiicient means for securing and holding various parts of the spool intimatelytogether in assembled relation. The various objects and'features 'of-' the inverition'willhe apparent from the structure shown on-the drawings, in which: I

Figure 1 is an "end view of the spool;

Figure 2- is a view partly in elevation and partly in section on plane II--II of Figure 1; I

Figures is a view of a portion of one of the reinforcing elements showing the arrangement of tongues thereon; Figure-4 is an enlarged section on plane IVIV Figure 1; n j t Figure 5 is a section of a portion'of a spool showing a' modified arrangement; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on plane VI-VI Figure 5.

On' the spool showngeach' head structure' comprises an inner radially extending wall' loand an outer wall I I; The inner walls jq have open centers with the surrounding metal portions deflected inwardly to formcylindrical flanges l2 5 which constitute the end portions of a tubular barrel'element, the body portion is of which extends between the flanges inabuttingengagementwith the inner ends thereof. For holding theflanges l2 and the barrel'part 13 together and in alignment, sheet metalhub frames M are provided which are of annular cup shape providing the outer cylindrical walls i5;- and the inner cylindrical walls l6"; the bottom walls I! inclining outwardly. The walls [5 are of outer Application March 1, 1945, Serial 6. -5so,373

' 3 Claims. (01. 252-123) 2 eter to receive the end portions of an arbor tube l9.

The outer wall ll of each head structure is formed integrally'of sheet metal and comprises the body 'portion 20 and-the surrounding outer frusto-conical portion 2| whose peripheral portion 22 is curled around outwardly to "be re ceived and clamped inv the outwardly curled peripheralportion 23 of the inner wall Ill. With thisarrangementthe' outer wall is separated;

from "Jthe'inner wall by a space 24. The outer cylindrical "wall I5 extends outwardly beyond the'inn'er wall I!) to span thespace 24 and tube secured to the outer wall part 20. In the 'arrangement shown on Figures 1 to 4, one manner of securing the frame It to the outer wall is v,

shown; 1 The wall portion 204is deflected inwardly at spaced intervals to form a circle of projections or beads 25 on the inner side of the wall 3 portion 20;these beads being elongated and disposed opposite the end of the outer wall [5 of the frame to be abutted thereby. The deflections 25Ihave slots -26 therein and, as best shown on" Figure '3', thewall l5 has tongues 21 thereon which project through the slots "into the concavities 28 of the deflected portions. The projecting ends of the tongues may be deflected over laterally against the sides of the recesses 28, or, as best shownon Figure 4, the projecting tongue ends may be notched and their side portions 21' deflectedover into engagement with the inclined end 'walls' of the recesses 28 to thus ioint the wall [5 to'the end wall body 20. -A-fter such dfie'cting or riveting, the tongue ends will be entirely'w-ithin' the recesses 28 to leave the outer surface of the wall portion 20 smooth for stacking orsupportingof the spool on end. -.L The end walls lfl have the axial openings 29 therethrou'gh, -the metal surrounding these open ings being first deflected inwardly as indicated at 3B andthen outwardly as indicated at 3!. The arbor tube {9 extends through the openings surrounded-by the inner walls 16 of the frames W, and'throu'gh the--openings'i2'9 -in theend walls I -lj-iil ieiend portionsjof the arbor tube being then curled inwardly, asindicated at '32, to intimately receivethe outwardly turned portions 3| sur rounding the openings 29. The arbor tube 19 is secured to the inner walls ll} of the frames I4 as -by' welding indicated at33'. The curled ends 32 of the arbor tube are inside of the outer faces of the outer wall portions 20 so as not to interfere with the stacking or seating of the spools.

It will be noted that with the outer and inner walls l0 and II and the frame l4 arranged and secured together as shown, each head structure of the spool is, in effect, a king truss of which the outer wall I5 of the frame l4 forms the connecting post between the outer wall ll forming the outer truss member and the inner wall I and the bottom wall ll of the frame l4 forming the inner truss member. With the truss structure heads connected by the barrel element 13 and the arbor [9, the head structures will be held'rigid and braced against flaring or spreading under axial pressure of wire loaded on the spool.

Figur 4 shows a modified arrangement for securing the end wall of the spool head structure to the outer wall l of the frame 14. As shown; the deflected portions of the outer wall body 2 form beads 34 arcuately spaced which are of semispherical shape and have the slots 35. The outer wall l5 of the frame I 4 does not have tongues thereon as in the arrangement of Figures l to 4, but the outer edge of the wall I5 remains continuous and abuts against the inner side of the wall portion 20 with the end of the wall I5 extending through the slots 35 into the recesses 36 of the beads. These portion of the wall l5 projecting into and exposed in the recesses 36 may be deflected over against the bottoms of the recesses to thus secure the end wall to the frame H, but preferably the projecting portions are welded or fused to the bead walls as indicated at 31. It is evident that, in the arrangement of Figure l to l, the ends of the tongues 21, instead of being burred or staked over, could be welded or fused to the wall H to secure the wall to the frame I4.

I have thus produced an efficient spool of a. minimum number of parts U of comparatively light sheet metal relatively arranged and rigidly secured together to provide truss formation for the heads whereby the spool will maintain its proper shape during winding or unwinding thereof or during handling or shipment.

I have shown a practical and efiicient embodiment of the various features of my invention, but I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement shown and described, as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

' I l. A spool for the purpose described comprising a tubular barrel element having end walls extending in radial planes, annular hub frames having outer walls fitting into the ends of said barrel element and having inner walls defining aligned passageways, said outer walls projecting a distance beyond the ends of the barrel ele-- ment, reinforcing walls outside of said end walls spaced away therefrom and having portions thereof deflected inwardly and being slotted, the outer ends of said outer walls of said hub frames abutting said reinforcing walls and projecting through'said slots and the projecting portions being secured to the outer sides of the reinforcing walls, the outer portions of said reinforcing walls inclining inwardly to the peripheral portions of said end walls and being secured thereto, said reinforcing walls having openings in register with the aligned passageways of said hub frames, and an arbor tube extending through said aligned openings and the openings in said reinforcing walls and being deflected at its ends backwardly against said reinforcing walls.

2. An all sheet metal spool for the purpose described comprising a tubular barrel element having end walls extending in radial planes, annular hub frames having outer walls fitting into the ends of the barrel element and inner walls defining aligned passageways, said barrel elemerit being welded to said hub frame outer walls, said hub frame outer walls projecting a distance beyond said end walls, reinforcing walls for said end walls abutting the projecting ends of said hub frame outer Walls and having portions thereof deflected inwardly and slotted to receive corresponding portions of said hub frame outer walls and said portions being secured against thE..outer sides of said reinforcing walls, the o'ufger portions of said reinforcing walls inclining inwardly to the peripheral portions of said end walls and being secured thereto, said reinforcing walls having openings in register with the aligned passageways of said hub frames, and an arbor tube extending through said reinforcing wall openings and said aligned openings and having its end portions secured to said reinforcing walls. 7

3. In a sheet metal spool, head structures each in the form of a truss comprising an inner wall structure including an inner wall and a hub frame and an outer wall structure, said wall structures being spaced axially apart and having} aligned axial openings therethrough, said inner wall structure having an outer part in a. radial plane and an inner part inclining outwardly to the outer wall structure, the outer part of said outer wall structure being inclined inwardly and secured at its periphery to the periph ry of said radial part of the inner wall structure, an annular wall extending in axial direction to span the space between said outer wall structure and the inner end of the radial part of the innerwall structur and being secured to the inner and outer wall structures, a. barrel tube extending between and Secured at its ends to the inner wall structure to form with said radial wall portion the annular space between the head structures for receiving material to be supported by the spool, and an arbor tube extending through the barrel tube and through theaxial openings of said inner and outer wall structures and secured to said inner and outer wall structures. 7

PAUL M. MUELLER.v

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: a STATES PATENTS m Number. Name Date 1,635,495 Odqulst July 12, 1927 1,845,741 Boesel Feb. 16, 1932 2,229,584.- Olson Jan. 21, 1941 aaseoze Olson Nov. 25, 1941 232L084 Howsom et a1 June 8, 1943 7 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Great Britain of 1903 

